Welcome to virtually every open concept plan. While not every plan has a direct view from the front door to the kitchen, they all have a direct view to the kitchen from the living space. Either you like it or you don't. My house now is open concept, with a front door that opens to the living room and has a view of the entire house. I am not a fan. My next house will have walls.

You haven't provided many photos of the actual kitchen, but based on what you did show it looks like your main appliances are on the shared wall. If that is actually the case, I wouldn't remove that wall unless you have a place to put the range on an exterior wall.

I haven't lived in a house with an entirely open plan, so can't really comment on pros/cons from that perspective. But I love having a distinct kitchen. It helps cut down on noise, it doesn't have to coordinate perfectly with the living area, and it doesn't always have to be perfectly tidy.

Is it possible to increase the feeling of connectedness and openness just by widening the kitchen-to-dining area doorway?

Our last place was a very open living space. the "front door" walked right into the dining room (very small house) While I hated that place for a lot of reasons but I loved having a completely open living space. Plus we never actually used our front door. we always had people come in the back door.

Our current house has a partial wall between the living room and kitchen/ dining and I wish it was designed more open or that there was an option to make it more open.

As you say, for entertaining its so nice to have an open concept.

My home was a gut to the studs remodel. I turned the old formal living room into the DR, and cannibalized the original dining room to make a big kitchen. I tore down walls to make it very open plan. You basically walk in near dining area and look straight at the kitchen. Sounds strange but works well. Kids are grown and we entertain often... not sure I’d love open plan as much with kids at home. I LOVE my house and have never NOT had anyone walk in and say how lovely it is. Pic is taken from front door. Bottom line- it’s ok to look at kitchen if it’s a nice kitchen kept fairly neat.

I do not like walking in and seeing everything open. I've seen some open concept that I like but not involving the kitchen. We live in a ranch home now and I want to do a gut to the kitchen moving some walls. However, I do not want the kitchen open to the front door.

I do not have a large space in the kitchen to work with. I need the wall facing the front door to hold cabinets. I don't have space for an island so throughout the day the kitchen gets messy.

I feel the kitchen needs its own space.

Jane

A kitchen that blends well with the open living and dining areas can be very attractive and dramatic. At night lighting can contribute to the effect. You need, like every beautiful interior space, to carefully design for that. Just as you would for a living room. Three spaces together- that's the coordination goal given your layout. You're the primary arbiter. If you find the finished product comfortable and inviting you've succeeded.

You have the option of removing part of the wall opposite the entrance as well as all of the wall on the dining room side. You'll need to post a scaled layout of your space with measurements including doors and windows.

Can you remove the wall between the kitchen and DR, and remove part of the wall between the kitchen and LR, blocking the actual straight-on view from the front door?

We filled in a snack bar area between the kitchen and LR when we bought our home--I didn't want anyone at the front door having a view of my dirty dishes. Many years later I opened the wall between the kitchen and DR and moved the back door from the kitchen into the DR, and I love it. It improved the traffic flow and makes the kitchen seem larger and more open. Part of the fridge is visible from the front door, but that's a trade-off I'm willing to accept.

Seeing the kitchen from the front door would not be a preferred option in my mind. Mamagoose’s idea is a good one

What is on the kitchen side of the wall? Would you loose valuable use of space in the kitchen by removing that wall? As if you do, I'm guessing anyone here would rather have the proper function of the kitchen and space rather than having an open concept.